Right in-time for July 4th comes AMERICA: THE MOTION PICTURE which tells American history like you’ve never seen before! Definitely NSFW.
Synopsis: In this wildly tongue-in-cheek animated revisionist history, a chainsaw-wielding George Washington assembles a team of rabble rousers — including beer-loving bro Sam Adams, famed scientist Thomas Edison, acclaimed horseman Paul Revere, and a very pissed off Geronimo — to defeat Benedict Arnold and King James in the American Revolution. Who will win? No one knows, but you can be sure of one thing: these are not your father’s Founding… uh, Fathers. Voice Cast: Channing Tatum “George Washington” Jason Mantzoukas “Samuel Adams” Olivia Munn “Thomas Edison” Bobby Moynihan “Paul Revere” Judy Greer “Martha Washington” Will Forte “Abraham Lincoln” Raoul Max Trujillo “Geronimo” Killer Mike “Blacksmith” Simon Pegg “King James” Andy Samberg “Benedict Arnold” |
AMERICA: THE MOTION PICTURE arrives on Netflix June 30, 2021.
(Photo/video credit: Netflix)
Based on Kate DiCamillo‘s award-winning Novel “Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures“, FLORA & ULYSSES arrives later this month on Disney+.
Flora (Matilda Lawler) is a ten-year-old comic book lover and she’s dealing with her parents George (Ben Schwartz) and Phyllis (Alyson Hannigan) separating. She rescues a squirrel and names it Ulysses, but realizes that it has superpowers. Her keeping Ulysses is a point of contention between her parents. George is in favour of it and Phyllis, a Writer, is against the idea finding the squirrel is impeding with her creativity and career. Ulysses proves to be more than meets the eye and just might be one thing missing in this family’s life.
See the Trailer:
We had the pleasure of attending the international Press Junket for FLORA & ULYSSES. In attendance were the Cast, Director and Author of the Novel on which the Film is based, including:
Alyson Hannigan (Buffy The Vampire Slayer, How I Met Your Mother) admits she doesn’t like watching herself, but since her daughters Satyana and Keeva were so excited about this, she watched it together with her family.
Hannigan: “They’ve been asking since the day we wrapped, so it’s been a very, very long wait and we got to see it early. They were so excited! From the moment it started, I sorta forgot that I was even a part of it. Watching them, they were so happy – like laugh out loud, beyond belly laughs! I paused because I was worried they were gonna miss the next scene. My husband and I kept looking at each other saying, ‘It’s so good!’. It was such a new experience not being so critical of myself going ‘Oh, I should’ve done it like that!’ – you know that Actor thing – and just being engrossed in this wonderful Movie.”.
Danny Pudi (DuckTales, Community) plays Miller, the Film’s villain who is in pursuit of Ulysses. He talks to some of the Physical Comedy required of him in the Film, including getting attacked by a cat.
Pudi: “It was a lot of letting go. This was my second time working with Lena, I worked with her on a film called The Tiger Hunter and I put it in my contract that I get to work with her on every film for the rest of her career. She told me this would be a complete departure, there’d be a lot of Physical Comedy involved. I love Physical Comedy and I thought it was going to be really fun diving into this world.”.
“In terms of physicality, they would give me pillows to put under my shirt, sometimes this weird, headless, squirrel mushy doll to simulate what the VFX squirrel would look like, then there was a lot of run, dance, jerk your head around and move your body and it was like dance, just letting go. It looked like I was getting electrocuted a lot. Eventually we found something that looked like I was getting attacked by a cat. Thankfully, I’ve been attacked by a few animals in my life so I used that as prep work.”.
Author DiCamillo talks about the story’s comic book influences.
DiCamillo: “I am a comic book fan but not a traditional comic book fan. What I grew-up with and what I love is Charlie Brown and Peanuts. And I actually still read a Peanuts cartoon every morning. It shaped my childhood and still shapes my sensibility. When I was writing the Book, I had Flora love comic book superheroes. When I turned it in, it didn’t have a superhero in it. My Editor said I’d have to make-up a superhero and I thought I couldn’t do that, but then I did. Then I went back and did some prep work reading-up on superheroes. I did it kinda backwards.”.
DiCamillo is asked how different the Film is from her Novel.
DiCamillo: “It’s not my first experience having my book turned into a movie (She also wrote “The Tale of Despereaux“). You kinda think that’s different and this is different, but that kinda went out the window. I read Brad Copeland’s Script and I liked it a lot, but when I watched the Movie, I watched it as my eight-year-old self. I didn’t compare it to the book or anything. I felt what happened between the Script, the Cast and directing is that the themes of the book are amplified. The heart is even bigger and the wackiness is even bigger. The power of connection has been amplified. Whatever’s different is more and better.”.
FLORA & ULYSSES has a playful energy to it and the Cast are asked how much of the Film was improved versus scripted.
Schwartz: “The Script that Brad wrote was so good. When Lena gives us room to play, it’s always within the boundaries of what that scene is and only if it heightens the emotion or Comedy of the scene, without bringing it somewhere else. Matilda and I improvised a couple times, which was very exciting. We sang a whole song which I believe is still in the Movie.”.
Pudi: “First of all, Ben and I have a lot of history over the past three years fighting as brothers (on DuckTales) so that was very helpful. It was very easy to tase him with a tranquilizer gun. The Script was so good, the world was so fully realized that we’d just play around when we were chasing each other.”.
Schwartz: “Danny’s a straight-up action villain in this. I’m very excited about this!”.
Pudi: “I showed- up to set with twirly mustache thinking they were gonna love this. I’m gonna villain it up! And as soon as I showed up, Lena says ‘Shave it!'”.
Matilda is so incredible. My first scene with her I was like a villain, and she had so much emotion behind her in her eyes. I felt like I was an evil person and I felt so bad, but I also was taken aback, I was in awe of her power on-screen. It was so exciting for me to just be a part of this world.”.
FLORA & ULYSSES reunites Schwartz and Pudi along with their DuckTales Co-Stars Bobby Moynahan and Kate Micucci. Director Khan is asked if this was intentional, along with other “Easter Eggs” in the Film.
Khan: “Yeah, you know after we got the first couple, I said, let’s just go with it! Bobby’s reading a DuckTales comic at the beginning. You then see more ducks with the different colours of their collars matching the colours of Danny‘s office. After a while, we realized that the best gold mine in all of Television is DuckTales.”.
“There’s comic book world references for those who are into those. There’s a lot of DuckTales. There’s a lot of Alyson Hannigan love from the past. There’s Buffy hidden in the background, there’s different books of Kate‘s that are hidden throughout, just lots of treats everywhere.”.
How challenging was it working with computer-generated animals? What were the challenges working with a character who’s not there?
Lawler: “Lena, you were kinda my squirrel at some points. You had this little stuffed animal squirrel that you would pretend was doing the scenes, so I could get an idea of what it would be like. During most of the scenes, I had this grey, creepy rat-like thing that was really creepy and some other times there wasn’t anything and I had to pretend like there was something there when there was nothing. So it was definitely interesting and challenging.”.
Hannigan talks about her process getting into her role and also recalls the furthest extent she’s ever gone into Method Acting.
Hannigan: “I remember having a lot of fun working out the awkward entrance with Ben. Do we hug, do we shake hands? That was really fun to do. I love anything where I get to be awkward. I could’ve just done that all day. Everything we did was just different. I think at one point I felt Ben‘s nose.”.
Schwartz: “There could a weird Supercut of us just trying to say hello to each other.”.
Hannigan: “I guess I’m not as ‘method’ as I should be. I tried a lot of lollipops for this role. Before Buffy, I did a show called Touched by an Angel playing a teen who was going to going to give-up her baby for adoption. It was a drama. So to prepare for the birthing scene, the Doctor on-set said they had a woman who is about to give birth and that I could watch. I was like ‘Uh, okay!?’. I was maybe 20. So I walk into this room and this woman is like in the final stages of labour. And the Doctor was like ‘Come on!” and I’m meeting this stranger, watching her give birth and it was incredible. She also made it look so easy as it wasn’t as dramatic as it should be for a TV Show. She lied. She made it look real easy. And I started bawling and was like “Bye!”. It was like her sixth child!”.
FLORA & ULYSSES arrives on Disney+ Friday, February 19, 2021.
(Photo/video credit: Disney)
We loved the first one! We’re delighted to show you the new Trailer for THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS 2!
Synopsis:
The Secret Life of Pets 2 will follow summer 2016’s blockbuster about the lives our pets lead after we leave for work or school each day. Illumination founder and CEO Chris Meledandri and his longtime collaborator Janet Healy will produce the sequel to the comedy that had the best opening ever for an original film, animated or otherwise.
The Secret Life of Pets 2 will see the return of writer Brian Lynch (Minions) and once again be directed by Chris Renaud (Despicable Me series, Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax). www.thesecretlifeofpets.com
Cast: Lake Bell, Hannibal Buress, Dana Carvey, Harrison Ford, Tiffany Haddish, Kevin Hart, Pete Holmes, Garth Jennings, Ellie Kemper, Nick Kroll, Bobby Moynihan, Patton Oswald, Jenny Slate, Eric Stonestreet
See the Trailer:
Universal Pictures Canada release THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS 2 Friday, June 7, 2019.
(Photo/video credit: Universal Pictures Canada)
Normally the biggest and flashiest of the Canadian network Upfronts, Bell Media brought out the big names introducing their upcoming 2017/2018 programming lineup on their family of television stations. Despite fewer names than prior years, the talent was not lacking in star power.
Taking over Sony Centre for the Performing Arts again this year, fans and media lined the Front Street Red carpet for a glimpse of that star power as the media giant revealed some of their exciting new selections to come this forthcoming television season!
Among their new programs unveiled include THE GIFTED, MARVEL’S INHUMANS, TEN DAYS IN THE VALLEY, THE GOSPEL OF KEVIN, THE GOOD DOCTOR, THE MAYOR, YOUNG SHELDON, ME, MYSELF & I, ROSEANNE (a revival!), FOR THE PEOPLE, THE CROSSING, DECEPTION, plus an untitled GREY’S ANATOMY spinoff!
The Upfronts wouldn’t be without that dazzle and in-town for the Bell Media Upfront were the likes of: Lea Michele (The Mayor), JoAnna Garcia (The Gospel of Kevin), Bobby Moynihan (Me, Myself and I), Vanessa Williams (Daytime Divas), Stephen Moyer (The Gifted), Jack Cutmorr-Scott (Deception), Cameron Cuffe (Krypton), Zoe Perry (Young Sheldon) and several more!
See the Snaps! Hover left or right on post below to navigate slideshow:
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Yeah she did. #LeaMichele at the #CTVUpfront for #TheMayor. #Glee #RachelBerry
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#JackCutmoreScott at #CTVUpfront for #Deception.
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For the complete 2017/2018 Bell Media line-up, click here.
(Photo/video credit: Mr. Will Wong/Bell Media)
This looks absolutely adorable! Ever since I saw the Trailer for THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS last fall, it’s been on my mind. What makes it unique is that it captures all the adorable “ham” things about our pets that we love, answering the undying question, “What do our pets do when we’re out at work??!?”. Anyone who’s ever owned a pet will relate right away when seeing this.
Synopsis:
For their fifth fully-animated feature-film collaboration, Illumination Entertainment and Universal Pictures present The Secret Life of Pets, a comedy about the lives our pets lead after we leave for work or school each day.
Comedy superstars Louis C.K., Eric Stonestreet and Kevin Hart make their animated feature-film debuts in The Secret Life of Pets, which co-stars Ellie Kemper, Lake Bell, Jenny Slate, Bobby Moynihan, Hannibal Buress and Albert Brooks. Illumination founder and CEO Chris Meledandri and his longtime collaborator Janet Healy produce the film directed by Chris Renaud (Despicable Me, Despicable Me 2), co-directed by Yarrow Cheney and written by Brian Lynch and Cinco Paul & Ken Daurio.
See the brand new Trailer!
Universal Pictures Canada release THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS on Friday, July 8, 2016.
(Photo/video credit: Universal Pictures Canada)
Search Engine Films + Mr. Will want to take Readers in Toronto to a Special Advance Screening of the witty ADULT BEGINNERS! Even better, did you know that Funnyman Nick Kroll will be attending for an exclusive Q&A with Fans? The Screening takes place on Wednesday, May 6, 2015.
Synopsis:
A young, hipster entrepreneur (Nick Kroll) crashes and burns on the eve of his company’s big launch. With his entire life in disarray, he leaves Manhattan to move in with his estranged pregnant sister (Rose Byrne), brother-in-law (Bobby Cannavale) and three year-old nephew in the suburbs — only to become their manny. Faced with real responsibility, he may finally have to grow up — but not without some bad behavior first.
Joel McHale, Jane Krakowski and Bobby Moynihan also star.
See the Trailer here:
To enter to win, simply click “like” on this Post at Mr. Will on Facebook. Click “share” from there for an extra chance!
G’luck Willionaire$!
Search Engine Films release ADULT BEGINNERS on Friday, May 8, 2015 via iTunes/Video-on-Demand and in select theatres.
(Photo/video credit: Search Engine Films)
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